Interchangeable hub.



No. 665,569. Patented lan. 8, |90I.

E. .W. L|TTLE'& R. JA-NNEY.

INTE'RCHANGEABL HUB.

(Applicaeion' 'med occ@ 23,l 1899.1

(No Model.)

gw Efw. Little Unita STATES ATENT EDWARD W. LITTLE AND REYNOLD JANNEY,OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

INTERCHANGEABLE HUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,569, dated January8, 1901.

Application filed October 23, 1899- Serial No. 734,463. (No modeLi T0a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD W. LITTLE and REYNOLD JANNEY, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Keene, in the county of Cheshire andState of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful InterchangeableHub, of which the following is a specilication.

The object of this invention is to provide a complete self-containedcarriage-hub which is journaled on ball-bearings and which can beapplied to an ordinary carriage-axle without the use of special toolsand without cutting or doing any machine-work whatever upon the axleitself.

To this end the invention consists of the hub as an article ofmanufacture and of the combinations of parts therein, as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end ofthis specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of acarriage-hub constructed according to thisinvention; and Fig. 2 is adetail view, partially broken away, of the parts which are secured onthe end of a carriage-axle.

The advantages of journaling hubs on ballbearings are now so wellrecognized that a large percentage of the new carriages now beingconstructed are specially designed for using ball-bearing hubs either inconnection with pneumatic tires or solid tires. To apply ball-bearin gs,however, to an ordinary carriage-axle, it has heretofore usually beennecessary either to braze or otherwise secure special fittings upon theaxle or to do other special machine-work thereon. On this account manypersons desiring to apply ballbearing hubs to carriages owned by themhave preferred to replace the carriage-axles with entirely new axlesspecially adapted for ball-bearings. 4

The principal object of the present invention is to provide aconstruction of ball-bearing hub which can be applied to any of theordinary forms of carriage-axles without the use of special tools andwithout cutting into or brazing onto the carriage-axle or doing anyspecial machine-work thereon. To this end a carriage-hub constructedaccording to the present invention comprises a sleeve which may beslipped onto any of the ordinary carriage-axles, a shell journaled onball-bearings on the sleeve, and replaceable bushings which fit into thesleeve and have shoulders bearing on the ends thereof, so that saidsleeve may be clamped onto the carriageaXle and held from turningthereon by the ordinary axle-nut. The replaceable bushings arepreferably made up in sets of diiferent lengths and of different insidediameters, so that by furnishing a plurality of such replaceablebushings a hub constructed according to this invention may be appliedand its sleeve may be clamped onto any of the ordinary forms ofcarriage-axles.

In practice it has been found that carriageaXles are seldom made of aless diameter than seven-eighths of an inch and seldom exceed a diameterof an inch and an eighth, While the length of the wheel-bearing variesbut little in the best makes of carriages, and for these reasons it hasbeen found that by using a comparatively small number of interchangeablebushings it is possible to lit a carriagehub constructed according tothis invention to almost any standard carriage, and at the same time, asthe use of carriage-hubs constructed according to this invention doesnot in any way mar or deface the carriage-axles, it is always possibleto replace the hubs constructed according to this invention with theordinary carriage-wheels when desired. n

Referring to the accompanying drawings and in detail, A designates acarriage-axle of any of the usual or ordinary constructions, threadedonto the end of which is the ordinary axle-nut B. Y I

The hub comprises an outer shell or hubcasing l0, preferably havingspoke-receiving flanges for receiving the ends of spokes, as in abicycle-wheel, although, if preferred, a hub constructed according tothis invention may be employed in connection with rigid spokes ratherthan bicycle-spokes. Pressed into and rigidly secured in the h ub 1i)are ball-casings 11. Coperating with the ball-casings 11 are ballretainers or washers 12. Threaded into the hub 10, so as to form pocketsbetween themselves and the ball-retainers 12, are collars 13 for holdingfelt rings 30 or similar dust-excluding material in the ends of thehubs. Threaded into the hub l0, so as to close the ends thereof, aredust-caps 14. Held in the ball-casings l1 are bearing-balls l5.

IOO

The parts which are secured upon and clamped onto the axle, so as to beheldin fixed position thereon, comprise a sleeve 16. Pressed onto oneend of the sleeve 16 is a ball-cone 17, and adjustably threaded onto theopposite end of the sleeve 16 is a second ball-cone 18. The ball-cone 18is held in its adjusted position by means of a washer 19 and check-nut20. Fitting into the sleeve 16 and having shoulders bearing on the endsthereo'f` are the replaceable bushings 2l, a plurality of such bushings,varying in length and in inside diameter,bein g preferably furnishedwith each carriage-hub to adapt such carriage-hub to be applied to anyordinary form of carriage-axle. In applying hubs in this manner it isnot essential that the replaceable bushings 21 should fit with absoluteaccuracy on the carriage-axle, as the end pressure of the nut will besuicient to clamp and vhold the sleeve against any of the ordinarystrains of usage.

The details and arrangements of parts in a carriage-hub constructedaccording to this invention may be varied by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the scope of this invention as expressed in theclaims. It is not desired, therefore, to be limited to the form ofconstruction herein shown and described; but

What is claimed, and sought to be secured by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

1. As an article `of manufacture, a hub for carriage-Wheels comprising asleeve, a shell, antifriction-bearings for journaling the shell on saidsleeve, and replaceable bushings fitting into the sleeve and havingshoulders bearing on the ends thereof to adapt the sleeve to be clampedonto a carriage-axle by the end pressure eXertedbyan ordinary axle-n ut,substantially as described.

2. As an article of manufacture, a hub for carriage-wheels comprising ashell, ball-casings tting therein, two sets of balls, a sleeve,ball-cones carried by said sleeve, one of said ball-cones being adjustably threaded thereon to regulate the bearings, and replaceablebushings fitting into the sleeve and having shoulders bearing on theends thereof to adapt the sleeve to be clamped on a carriageaXle by endpressure exerted by an ordinary axle-uut, substantially as described.

3. As an article of manufacture, a hub for carriage-Wheels comprising ashell 10, ballcasings 11 pressed therein, ball retainers or Washers 12,collars 13 for securing felt rings -in the shell, dust-caps 14 forclosing the ends of the shell, two sets of bearing-balls 15, a 4sleeve16, a ball-cone pressed on one end thereof, a ball-cone adjustablythreaded on the other end of the sleeve 16, a check-nut 2O for holdingsaid ball-cone in its adjusted position, and replaceable bushings 21titting into the sleeve 16 and having shoulders bearing on the endsthereof to adapt the sleeve 16 to be clamped onto a carriage-axle by theVend pressure of an ordinary axle-nut, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

EDWARD W. LITTLE. REYNOLD JANNEY. Witnesses:

O. E. GAIN, FRANCES C. FAULKNER.

